Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-14
AlIST0RIC SWORD.
WlelDt BY CAPT. REID At A
EROlc SEA FIGHT.
The "TihopylD of the Ocean''-Seven
Guns d Ninety Men Against 136
Guns 4 1000 Men-The Fight and
Its Eesss

Guns d Ninety Men Against l36
Guns / 1000 Mon-The Fight and
It's Resss.
There haain upon the desk of the presi-
dent for Sc time a plain, steel scabbarded
sword, oldshioned in style and and service
able rathethan elegant, slightly curved,
somewhat ttered and generally a weapon
that looks though it had seen service. And
1t has; and vice, too, in one of the most he
rolc actionssscribed in the pages of Ameri-
can history
day or p ago the president sent this
sword to csress, and it viii probably be-
come the dIf of the National museum, in
which so maj other valuable relics are de-
posted, to 81 it place in which it may be
seen In COMFY with a sketch of the hero
and the herotontest that make it sacred
The presenfion to congress, through the
president, bgbl. Samuel c. Reid of this bat
tie saber Father, the late Capt. Samuel
Chester Reikho commanded the United
States priva adrmed brig of war Gen. Arm
strong at tlF Ntle of Fayal, in September,
1874, is psesnough for revNing some in
| cidents wl1hsave passed out of mind
UNpoAL FORCES ENGAGED.
The Arnfrsng was littte brig of but $40
tens, earring but seven guns and ninety
men. She ps attacked inthe neutral waters
of the AID iiands by q British squadron.
consisting 4 tie ship of the line Plantagenet,
the fiigate lotaAand th sioop of war Carna-
ton, with a toal AMOUNT of 136 guns and
2,000 men. rheBr4ih lost over 800 of their
l.
picked men md didrs in killed and wounded,
while the Arnst,e8 lost but two killed and
seven wounted. fe action has well been
called the "Eaerm&la OF the Ocean" for no
naval battle in asent or modern history is
comparable with6hat of the Armstrcrg at
Fayal, either as tdhe unequal forces engaged,
the unyielding a, infiexible bravery of her
officers and crevf1or as to the grand results
which followedn the defeat of the British
expedition agait Louisiana
The height oheroism and romantic chiv-
airy were dispyed by Capt. Reid and his
crew in the st act of this extraordinary
naval drama. After scuttling his vessel to
save her fro capture be went ashore with
his men andalns, when the commander of
the sauadroEAdmiral Lloyd, demanded their
surrender d threatened to send 500 men to
take them Reid retired with his men to an
old gothicsnvent, which he fortified, knocked
away thehawbridge, ran up the American
flag andbade tine enemy defiance Lloyd
quailed ,der this last exhibitionof heroic
courage iaying they were demons and not
men.
The siadron under Lloyd was on its way
TO sland Of Jamaica to join the great
feet ssmhled there under Admiral Lord
Cocfrfhe, afterwsrd Earl of Dundonald who
was ffidentially intrusted with the secret
expet6on for the conquest of Louisiana
The IT hope of England to wrest the control
of II Mississippi river and the province OF
Losiana from France had been foiled by
NaHeon, who. seeing that he had no means
Of fotecting it from the conquest of Eng
lad, ceded 1t TO the United States in 1908.
THE FORTUNATE RESULTS
Dn the declaration of war by the United
Ssates, in 1872, Englands eyes were once
Iore turned to the coveted possession, and,
fter making demonstration against
Washington and Baltimore, she assembled
er combined fleets, no longer needed for the
loczades of the French coasts, at Eegril bay,
amaica, to carry out this great design. The
rippled condition of Lloyd's squadron had
reated delay of over ten days in repairing
amages, as they were occupied three days
lone in burying their dead On the arrival
f Lloyd at Jamaica further delay of a week
ook place, Admiral Lord Cochrane being
lrious at Lloyd's disaster, which finally
roved fatal to the expedition. The feet did
OF arrive off Lake Bosgue until four days
fter the arrival of Gen. Jackson with his
orces, which barely gave him time to make
defense, so that, had the feet arrived ten
avs sooner. when New Orleans and the
oast was utterly defenseless, an easy con
nest would have been made, and once in
it is doubtful if the treaty of peace
'ould have been ratified by England Thus
is clearly demonstrated that if Capt Reid
ad surrendered his vessel against such an
force, which he might have
one without the imputation of cowardice, |
.ouisiana might to-day be under the flag of
t, George
To Capt. Reid is not only due the credit of
MS victory, but its general results in saving |
domain now more than three times larger
nan the territory of France, and it is worthy
} be remembered that this gallant sailor be
anne afterward the designer of the present
orm of the United States flag, as adopted by
Ongress in 1918. His name and fame deserve
} be cOmrnemorated, and congress should
how the gratitude of the people by making
n appropriation for a substantial and en-
uring testimonial to his bravery and useful |
New York Times.